MUST SEE Video - Indian Tech Support Scammers Infiltrated!
Dear Infopackets Readers,
For the past 5+ years I've been writing articles about fake tech support scammers based in India. In fact, I just published an article about "Expert4Help" scam last week.
Here's how the scam works:
While browsing the Internet, you may suddenly receive a full screen "virus warning". The warnings appear even when browsing legitimate websites (Amazon.com, for example). The warnings are often accompanied by a computer-generated voice, which says that the computer is infected and that you must call "Microsoft support" to "fix" the "problem". These warnings are meant to be harsh in order to scare you. The warning also conveniently has a 1-800 number to call - but it's not Microsoft on the other end - it's the scammers from India!
The scammers then convince you that something is wrong with your machine, and the only way to fix it is to allow them remote access to "fix" the problem. Once the scammers connect, they falsely claim there are serious problems with the machine. They then proceed to bill anywhere from $150 for a fake 1 year "contract", or $350 for 3 years of fake support.
The fact of that matter is that nothing is wrong with the machine at all, and the contract is completely bogus. Typically they will call back within a few weeks or months, claim something else is wrong with the machine. Here's the catch: the new problem isn't covered by the original fake contract - which isn't a contract at all. This time, it will cost substantially more to "fix" the "problem" - usually $800 or more.
The scam then repeats indefinitely, until you either run out of money, or wise up.
Going Beyond The Scam: What I've Uncovered
As a senior systems administrator, I offer my - legitimate - tech support services to those who have been scammed in order to clean the PC and make it safe to use again.
Related: Read about my tech support services here; review my resume here; review the articles I've written over the years here.
As I have reported many times, once the scammers are connected to the machine they also install multiple remote access backdoors which allows them unprecedented access to your machine. They can connect to your machine when they want, and do whatever they want, well past the point of the original scam. Oftentimes this is done in order to propagate more scams, download financial information, steal your identity, or to upload malware to the machine capable of recording keystrokes.
One of my clients had $18,000 stolen from his bank account only days after letting the scammers into his machine!
I have written many articles on the subject, warning users on the Internet of the scam. The issue is that scammers often change website names and operate under different company names, which means some of my older articles are now no longer relevant. That's why you'll see me post new articles about a "new company" doing the same scam.
The fact is, once a company name gets a bad reputation and the Internet search engines are flooded with complaints, the scammers will start up a "new company" name with a new web address and start the same scam again. It's similar to playing the game "whack a mole", where the moles just keep popping up no matter how hard you smack them on the head.
Video: CBC Marketplace Infiltrates Indian Tech Support Scammers
A few days ago I was doing research on the topic and noticed that CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) did an exposé on the Indian tech support scammers.
This video validates everything that I have said in my articles - namely that the scam goes much deeper than simply scamming people for their hard-earned money. Once the scammers are in your machine, they have access to all your files, download all your financial information, and record your keystrokes. They can steal your identity and will even sell your information to other scammers!
This video is an eye-opener. I urge you to watch the video and to share this page with friends. As you'll see in the video, this scam is operated by very large criminal organizations.
Feel free to comment below.
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 30 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
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Comments
More must see
Youtube is full of videos where virtual machines are used and they lock the scammers out of their computers.
Fun vid. In the sense that
Fun vid. In the sense that the good guys are exposing this crap, that is. Question--why can't Microsoft use Google searches the way we do to find "their" tech support, identify those websites that pretend to be MS, and go after them that way? Just pose as your average victim and lead the scammers on till they incriminate themselves, then get the authorities after them? (Hint--offer a few significant rewards to any potential whistle blowers in India...) Or maybe just make it easier to get official, one-on-one, MS support in the first place...
If the answer is that even MS can't trace the fake sites, then why can't they demand that Google remove all sites that claim to be MS but aren't?
Hate these scammers
I hate these scammers with a passion! I am a network administrator / system administrator with a focus on security so people around town know I really know my stuff. Periodically I'll get a call from someone that accidentally fell for a scam and I'll head over to fix their system when I leave work. But even better, sometimes, not often enough for me, I'll get a call from someone that happens to realize that they are being scammed during the call and I'll get to their house as quick as I can to play with the scammers. I'll play a part with the victim for the scammers as a concerned family member. I always get as much information about the scammers because "I want to research the cmpany before we send them money". Once I get as much information as I can, I'll let them know who I am, what I do, lock them out of controlling the system while they can still see the system. I listen all of the threats of things like they will destroy the system so it will no longer be usable. I reverse any modifications they made to the system, give them a threat to for them to pay me or I will permanently lock them out to which is usually followed by threats that there was no way in the world that I can do that since they have complete control of the system (remember, I have already have removed their ability to do anything except watch me undo everything they have done) and when I have finally gotten everything else cleaned up, I remove their program that gave them remote access and I ask them to please get into the computer again to prove their threat, or better yet destroy the computer like they said they would. Once they get mad and hang up, I give all the details I have gathered to the FBI which luckily has resulted in a few shutdowns but unfortunately sometimes they can be right back up again a few hours later with a new location and same scam tactics.